Awake: A Troubled Marriage
by Marie King
Summary: It's been eight weeks since Sam and Clay's daughter Serenity's birth. The two are over joyed by their new baby. However their intimate life is suffering greatly and causing tension in their marriage. Can the young couple learn to prioritize?


Sam Lockwood-Beresford looked at her clock on her nightstand.

It read 4:20 it was the first time in eight weeks that she was not up feeding her newborn baby.

She was thrilled. _It's about time. _Sam thought with tired relief.

Still she wanted to make certain that her baby was all right as quietly as she could Sam got up.

She stretched for a minute then she softly padded over to the nursery.

After much deliberation Sam decided a month into her pregnancy that in order to make more breathing room for their growing family they would have to move out of her modest Brooklyn apartment.

As much as it pained her too Sam agreed to Clay's idea to move.

They soon moved out of Brooklyn and into a modest through still large town house on Park Avenue in Manhattan.

By the time Sam was in the fourth month of her pregnancy she and Clay had fully settled into their new town house.

Through it took some adjusting mostly on Sam's part.

By the eighth month of her pregnancy she was completely at home in the townhouse

The baby's nursery was right next door to their room.

It was medium sized room and had pale washed pink walls and ceiling the carpet was a soft pale Burberry burgundy, there were also soft blue and pink stuffed animals arranged around the room.

Sam peeked over the pink bassinet in the middle of the room.

A soft smile appeared on her face as Sam watched her daughter.

She and Clay had discussed baby names all through her pregnancy.

They had settled on Colin Clayton Lockwood-Beresford Jr., if the baby were a boy.

If the baby were a girl they had agreed on Serenity Lilith Lockwood-Beresford her middle name derived form Lilith the name of Clay's mother.

On October tenth at exactly midnight Serenity Lilith Lockwood-Beresford was born.

She weighed 6 pounds and was 8 inches, Sam and Clay were overjoyed.

Serenity was a beautiful combination of both her and Clay, she had Sam's soft caramel colored hair and had Clay's dark brown eyes.

They were able to take Serenity home after only staying one more night in the hospital, which Sam was very grateful for.

Lilith was equally overjoyed for Sam and Clay. Lilith was not only there for Serenity's birth but had over the past eight weeks visited her granddaughter regularly.

Sam would on her days off to take Serenity over to visit Lilith.

Her mother-in-law would constantly coo over her granddaughter, every time she would see Serenity Lilith would say happily _Oh there's my angel, come to grandma! _

Sam was happy by Lilith's reactions to her being pregnant and being a mom she was also happy over how her mother-in-law was handling being a grandmother.

Lilith would nearly every time Sam would visit with Serenity give her advice on how to care for her through Sam was grateful for her help Lilith was starting to get a bit overbearing.

Sam sighed and whispered quietly to her sleeping daughter "Grandma sure drives me crazy Ren."

Suddenly Sam felt something around her waist she gasped and turned.

Sam whispered furiously "Clay you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Her anger soon melted away by the warmth of his arms around her waist, Sam leaned into him.

Clay nuzzled her hair and whispered apologetically " Sorry honey I didn't mean to scare you."

Sam turned around fully she wound her arms around his neck then she kissed him passionately for a few seconds.

They broke apart through her arms where still around his neck.

Sam sighed and whispered softly "I forgive you sweetie. "she leaned into Clay again.

He pulled her tighter to him. Clay whispered to her reverently "So how is she doing?"

Sam turned around and whispered relieved "She's fine, I cannot believe she finally slept through an entire night tonight, it's amazing!"

Sam turned back around she planted another passionate kiss on Clay. He returned it with immense enthusiasm.

Sam gently pulled away and said with as much force as she could muster through her blazing passion for him

She said yearningly "Clay, honey we can't, we have to take Serenity to a doctor's appointment tomorrow and it's early at six o' clock." Clay kissed her neck softly.

He then sighed and said a bit irradiated "Sam, please it's been so long, can't we do...something?" Sam sighed.

It was true since they had Serenity neither of them were spending as much time together, their intimate life was defiantly suffering as an result.

Sam still hadn't lost all of her baby weight her extra weight wasn't her only issue when it came to sex, after working and taking care of Serenity whenever the subject came up Sam was usually to exhausted to do anything.

Clay kept saying he didn't care about her weight, through she still put the subject off and it was starting to take a strain on their marriage.

Sam took a deep breath. She then exhaled and said promisingly "Sweetheart I promise we can have some fun when we get back form the doctor's I'll take Ren over to see Lilith she has been dying to see her, it's been nearly two weeks since she's seen her grandma."

Clay took a deep breath and replied tiredly "Sam you said that last week and it didn't happen I'm starting to get real fed up with your excuses."

Fed up Sam pulled away form him she then softly padded out of Serenity's room.

Clay followed her. Sam got into bed.

Clay closed the door behind him and lingered at the door for a few seconds.

Sam still fuming reached into her nightstand drawer and pulled out an hair brush she ran it through out her hair a couple of times, Sam then quickly braided her hair.

Clay exhaled slowly he then reluctantly climbed into bed with her.

Sam sighed once again that night.

She finally turned to her husband and said infuriated "Clay I really don't think you have been appreciating how hard I've been working, since Serenity's arrived I am not only still holding down my job but I am taking care of our daughter I usually don't get home on a good day till at least nine in the evening. I barely have time to eat, now over these past few weeks the only thing you have been thinking about besides work is having sex, well I'm sorry I'm not a Stepford wife and I can't give that to you. I have other important things on my mind, like making sure our daughter is taking care of!"

Sam took a deep breath to calm herself, she knew she had hurt Clay's feelings trough she had to admit what she had just said felt amazing.

The tension had been building for weeks and it felt good for Clay to know how she was truly feeling despite the pain it brought to his eyes.

Clay just stared at her for a moment stunned by her reaction.

He then sighed and said apologetically "Sam, honey I'm so sorry I didn't mean for it to come out that I don't appreciate you because I do I know how difficult our lives have been since Serenity has come along, we've been so busy and hardly get to spend time with each other what I'm trying to say is.. I miss you."

Hesitantly Clay started to put his arms around Sam.

She sat rigid still contemplating weather or not to lean into his embrace.

Finally Sam took another deep breath and relented to Clay's touch.

She sighed and said into his arms softly "I'm sorry that I blew up at you, it's just that this whole parent job is so much harder that I thought it would be. I foolishly thought it would be easy. I miss you too I know we haven't been spending much time together less than either of us would like, and I want to change that but I'm going to need your help to do so."

Clay kissed her on the top of her head and said warmly "Sam, you so have my support I'm sorry too I guess I have been a tad preoccupied with sex."

Sam made a face.

Clay backtracked and replied "All right _obsessed_ with sex, it's just I miss being with you."

Sam hugged him and said yearningly "'So have I."

Clay kissed her and replied confidant "Your right honey this parent job is tough, I just know we can do it."

Sam smiled and said keenly"Yeah we can, we just have to learn to prioritize."

Clay laid down and she did the same he then wrapped his arms around her.

Once they were comfortable Sam sighed into Clay happily "So do you still want to take me up on my offer for tomorrow?"

Clay squeezed her softly and said softly "Sure you bet."

Sam sighed again. She then said gently "I love you, Clay."

Clay kissed the top of Sam's head again he then replied softly "I love you."

Sam then kissed Clay. She then drifted off into a deep content sleep.

The next morning the young family went to Serenity's doctor's appointment.

Happily Serenity was a healthy eight week old, there were no red flags during her exam.

Once the exam was done she and Clay dropped Serenity off at Lilith's.

She agreed to keep her for the weekend.

Sam and Clay then hurried back to their townhouse and ordered in Chinese.

Once they were done with dinner she and Clay bathed together.

Sam still had left over lilacs and purple lavender scented candles form the time she told Clay she was pregnant.

She quickly decorated their bedroom the exact same way as she had the last time.

Sam also dressed the same she pulled on her black lingerie with lace trimmings.

She made Clay wait in the bathroom.

Once she was finished pulling her hair into a french braid she called to him happily "All right honey I'm done, you can come in now!"

Clay who himself was in clad only in a white t-shirt and boxers.

He took in what she had done and said impressed " Wow Sam this is great."

Clay then shifted nervously form foot to foot Sam took two deep breaths it had after all been a long time.

Sam slid off the bed.

She went to Clay and wrapped her arms around his waist.

She kissed him softly then said assuredly "Don't worry honey it's like riding a bike you never forget, don't worry we'll take it slow."

Sam started to take his shirt off.

Before she could Clay was already there, once he had pulled his shirt off he kissed Sam vigorously.

With out breaking rhythm Clay wrapped his arms around her neck Sam then slid the top and shortly after the bottom of her lingerie off Clay in turn slid his boxers off.

They did all of this without breaking the intense rhythm of their kissing.

Clay pulled away and said breathlessly "Form what you can see, I don't want to go slow I want to go really fast."

Sam smiled and said eagerly "Well lead on honey."

Clay then took a sliding step forward and pushed Sam backwards onto their bed.

They then made love and Sam never remembered a more passionate or vigorous session.

Then then lay entangled in each other panting breathless form their many rounds.

Sam propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Clay with an intense loving gaze.

She kissed him then said thoroughly satisfied "Clay you were so right, we needed this do you think your mother could baby-sit every weekend?"

Clay chuckled. He then kissed her and replied wryly "I don't think so sweetheart, but I'm sure she can baby-sit every other weekend."

Sam smiled and said thickly "Works for me, do you want to go again?"

Clay threaded his arms around her waist, he then softly through quickly pulled her on top of him.

Sam laughed and said brightly "I guess that's a yes?"

Clay nodded and started to kiss her.

Before they got any farther Sam put a hand to Clay's lips and said happily "Clay, honey I promise you there will be more nights like this one, we just have to learn to balance the passion with being parents."

Clay nodded again and replied "We can do it I know we can I love you so much, thank you for this night."

Sam smiled and said "I love you, your welcome and thank you too."

At that moment Sam knew she and Clay could work out any troubles that came along in their marriage.

They would work them out together.

The couple then continued their passionate love making.


End file.
